Learn about the universal language of animation in a free talk event at The Japan Foundation, Sydney. In this talk, Dr Masafumi Monden will discuss animation as an intersection of human perception, cultural and social movements that communicate visual, auditory, and sensory experience. This experience unites its viewers in a universal language, yet allows the filmmaker to communicate personal, cultural and historical specificities within their narratives. ABOUT THE SPEAKER Masafumi Monden is a cultural studies scholar specialising in Japan. He writes and teaches modern Japanese cultural history, fashion, art and popular culture, gender studies, Japanese language, and international relations focusing on Australia’s ties with Asia. Before joining the University of Sydney, Dr Monden most recently taught at the University of Western Australia. Trained in four different disciplines at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels (Humanities, Communication, Media and Cultural Studies, and Design), Dr Monden uses visual sources, texts, and empirical evidences to examine material cultures of everyday as embodiments of social, cultural, and historical expressions. Please note that the in-person talk event will also be available via Facebook livestream on the JPF Sydney Facebook. This talk event is part of the continuum: Independent animation from Japan and Australia exhibition and event series.